Child&#39;s collapsible chair



A W51 J. W. HGON AL 2,55,352

CHILD'S COLLAPSIBLE CHAIR Filed June 25, 1949 Patented Apr. 24, 1951 CHILDS COLLAPSIBLE CHAIR James W. Hodgson, Dover, and George F. Vigneau, Hampton, N. H.

Application June 25, 1949, Serial No. 101,378

(Cl. l5578) 4 Claims.

quickly, conveniently and securely attached to the top of any table Where it is desired temporarily to seat a child.

Going more into detail the collapsible chair of our invention comprises an upright leg memher to which are connected a pair of U-shaped members one of which carries the seat and is provided with upturned ends for engaging the bottom of the table top and the other of which carries the back of the chair and is provided with forwardly extending arms for engaging the top face of the table. Preferably and as herein shown both the leg member and one of the table top engagin members may be made adjustable to accommodate tables of different height and table tops of different thickness.

A feature of the invention consists in directly pivoting the seat member to the leg member and in providing a pivoted link connection between the seat member and the back member so that these two members may be readily swung with reference to the leg member into collapsed or operative position. As a further feature of the invention the leg member and the back member are constructed and arranged to provide interlocking elements which engage when the chair is brought into erected or operative position and serve tohold the chair in that position without danger of accidental collapse.

Other'features of the invention relate to the mor egeneral tubular characteristics of our novel chair. Adjustment for height and table top engagement are provided by feet or studs threaded into the tubular ends of these members and provided with lock nuts. The link connection between the seat and back members is provided by a metal strap which encircles one arm of the said members and is prevented from shifting by interfitting with an extruded depression therein.

These and other features of our invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation showing the chair in erected condition,

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective showing the chair in collapsed position,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the tray as seen from beneath,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the tray on the line l4 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing one of the: clamps of the link connection.

The chair as herein shown is constructed prin-- cipally of light metal tubing which may be attrac tively finished if desired by nickel or chrome plating. The leg member which supports the chair comprises a pair of tubes In of equal length which are crossed, flattened and connected by a bolt or rivet ll near their lower ends and extend vertically with their upper ends in spaced relation in the erected chair. Each tube It! is provided in its upper end with a plug terminating in a tooth or detent l2. Each tube i0 is provided in its lower end with a bushing (not shown) into which is threaded an adjustable foot l3 provided with a circular lock nut.

A tubular U-shaped seat member I4 is connected by pivots l5 to the leg member near the upper end of the latter. The free ends I6 of the seat member are turned upwardly and contain threaded studs I! provided also with lock nuts. The seat member is shaped in this manner so that it may clear the rail of a table top and locate the adjustable studs H in contact with the underside of the table top as shown in Fig. 3. Suitable adjustment of the feet 13 and the studs ll adapt the chair for tables of difierent height and table top construction. A seat 18 of cushion material is permanently secured between the sides of the seat member 14 and in position to fill its closed U-shaped end.

Upon each tubular arm of the seat member is secured a clamp I 9 which is in the form of a strap as shown in Fig. 5. The ends of the strap are brought together and perforated to receive a pivot for connection with a link 20. The strap of the clamp is held in position against displacement by having a portion thereof extruded or swedged into an extruded recess in the tube of the seat member.

To the clamp I9 is pivotally connected a link 20 and this link has a similar pivotal connection to a clamp 2| upon the upper U-shaped back member 22. This member has straight parallel ends which engage the top surface of the table and cooperate with the adjustable studs I! in clamping the chair in its erected position and holding it securely to the table. Aback pad 23 is pivotally connected to the closed end of the U-shaped member 22 and the back is connected by straps 24 to the rear edge of the seat l8.

The chair is herein shown as provided with a detachable tray 25, this being an optional feature. The tray is of such dimensions as to extend over the ends of the back member 22 and is provided on its lower face with a pair of tubular ribs 26 and 21 spaced closely to engage the parallel ends of; the back member 22. The rib 26 is provided with a spring locking pin 28 which holds the tray securely in place but permits it to be readily released when desired and removed.

The erected position of the chair will be clear from an inspection of Fig. 1. When the two U- shaped members are swung into horizontal position the teeth I2 of the leg member engage in corresponding notches provided in the underside of the back member. The links tie the two members securely together and a slight clamping adjustment of the studs I! is effected to hold the chair structure rigidly in operative position.

On the other hand, when it is desired to detach and collapse the chair the user has only to swing the leg member to release the grip on the table top and slip the ends of the seat and back members all the table top. Thereupon the seat member I4 may be swung 90 into position between the sides of the leg member It as shown in Fig. 2. At the same time the teeth 12 are disengaged from their notches in the back member 22 and the latter is permitted through its link connection with the seat member to be rocked forwardly until the back 23 contacts with the seat and swings into parallel relation with it, all as shown in Fig. 2. When the chair is again erected the strap 2d act to pull the back 23 into its vertical position. The tray 25 may be disengaged as already explained and will be found to fit comfortably between the sides of the back member when the latter is in collapsed position.

The U-shaped member 22 has been referred to herein as a back member. This is not because it carries the back pad 23 but because it has broadly the function of a back for the occupant of the chair. within the scope of the invention to omit the pad 23 and to utilize the member 22 in any desired manner as a back. Both ends of the back member may be encased in rubber tubes beneath the tray, and the studs ll preferably terminate in rubber pads. The leg member is shown as consisting of two crossed and connected tubes but the connection may be omitted in favor of two separate components if desired.

It will be noted that in erected position the U-shaped seat member I4 and the U-shaped back member 22 are disposed in substantially parallel relation and that the length of the link connection is substantially equal to the length of the upright ends of the leg member above the pivots [5 by which the seat member i connected there- Accordingly it would be to. Both arms of the back member 22 are recessed to receive the teeth [2 and when the members are rocked into their erected position the teeth l2 are forced by lever action into the appropriate recesses. Then when the studs ll are tightened against the table top the interlocked teeth and recesses are held against this disengagement by lever action through the clamps I9 and 2|.

Having thus disclosed our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A childs collapsible chair comprisin an upright leg member, a U-shaped seat member pivotally connected to the leg member below its upper end and having upturned free ends for engaging th underside of a table top, a U-shaped back member having a pivoted link connection to the seat member and forwardly projecting arms for engaging the upper surface of the table top, and interlocking elements presented by the upper end of the leg member and the back member.

2. A collapsible chair comprising a leg mem ber having horizontally spaced parallel ends, a U-shaped seat member pivoted to said leg member below said ends, and a U-shaped back member located above the seat member and having pivoted link connections with the seat member and being provided with recesses to receive the spaced upper ends of the leg member.

3. A folding chair comprising an upright leg member having a pair of free spaced upper ends, a seat member pivoted thereto at points below its upper end and having itself upturned ends, a back member, and pivoted links connecting the back member and seat member at points between the upturned ends of the seat member and its points of connection with the leg member, Whereby pressure against the upturned ends of the seat member will force the back member against the free ends of the leg member.

4. A detachable folding chair comprising U- shaped seat and .back members extended at their free ends to clamp a table top between them, an intermediate pivoted link connection between said members, and a leg element pivotally connected to the eat member and movable. to engage the back member by lever action.

JAMES W. HODGSON. GEORGE F. VIGNEAU.

REFERENCES CITED The following references areof record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 'Number Name Date 1,304,368 Purcell May 20, 1919 2,489,084 Ducey V Y Nov. 22, 1-949 2,509,036 Cox l May 23, 1-950 

